Firm purchases Actavis plant, saves 300 jobs

ELIZABETH HEFFNER
Staff Writer

G&W Laboratories, Inc. has taken over the former Actavis facility, located off of Highway 150, saving 300 jobs that were expected to be lost with the plant’s closure.
After learning that Actavis planned to phase out production and ultimately close the Lincoln County plant, the New Jersey-based company began entertaining the idea of heading the facility’s operations.
According to a press release from the Lincoln Economic Development Association, G&W Laboratories manufactures some of the same types of products as Actavis, and plans to manufacture additional products to expand the company’s product portfolio.
A family-owned business, G&W Laboratories was founded in 1919 by Carl Greenblatt.
According to Lincoln Economic Development Association director Cliff Brumfield, the association met with the company on numerous occasions over the course of several months to provide them with information regarding the various services and support G&W Laboratories could look forward to as a corporate business in Lincoln County.
By acquiring the 139,856 square-foot facility, G&W Laboratories will be maintaining all 300 of the current Actavis employees, with plans to increase their job offerings in the future. The company is also expected to invest approximately $3.5 million in machinery and equipment.
“Actavis has been an excellent corporate citizen to Lincoln County and our community, and we look forward to G&W Laboratories doing so as well,” Brumfield said. “This turned out to be the best-case scenario. We’re very thankful to our new industry, as well as Actavis, for being able to work together to make this happen.”
At the June 16 Board of Commissioners meeting, County Commissioner Alex Patton, whose wife works at the plant, also expressed his gratitude toward LEDA and G&W Laboratories.
“I want to thank G&W for their commitment to Lincoln County and to the 300 employees that faced certain job loss,” he said. “We welcome this family owned business to the growing list of diverse companies that call Lincoln County home. We look forward to a long and successful relationship, and we are excited about what the future holds for G&W.”